Ice Age Trail Weather Planner

The Ice Age Trail traverses Wisconsin from the St. Croix River in the west to Sturgeon Bay in the east, covering a wide range of climates. The western sections experience cold continental winters and warm, humid summers. The eastern shoreline sections benefit from Lake Michigan's moderating influence, but also see significant lake-effect snow and persistent cold winds in late fall and winter.

Both heat index and wind chill are incorporated into this planner using the Steadman methodology. Temperature advisories fire when the apparent high reaches or exceeds 100 °F (heat index threshold) or when the apparent low reaches or falls below 20 °F (cold weather threshold). 20 °F is a common rating floor for sleeping bags and insulating layers; conditions at or below this level push typical gear to uncomfortable levels.

• The Ice Age Trail consists of roughly 700 miles of certified hiking path connected by approximately 500 miles of road walk connectors, for a total of over 1,200 planned trail miles. This planner uses an axis-mile system wherein each of the 124 named segments absorbs the road walk distance to its neighboring segments. This means every axis mile maps to exactly one named segment with no gaps, and road walk distances are not labeled separately in the planner.
• The points used for weather lookups and the map line used to signify the trail were primarily sourced from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) ArcGIS trail layer. This provided the best results when building the page, but there are some slight differences between the DNR data and maps published through the Ice Age Trail Atlas. As the IAT is still a work in progress and as roadwalk sections are slowly turned into traditional hiking trails, it is difficult to obtain data that is simultaneously fully accurate, up-to-date, and easy-to-use. So I feel these discrepancies are inevitable (and manageable). But TrailTemps will continue to keep the site updated as the trail continues to grow with new "official" hiking miles.

• Ice Age Trail Alliance: Official and extensive web site for the Ice Age Trail Alliance, the nonprofit organization that builds, maintains, and promotes the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Includes detailed segment maps, trail conditions, volunteer opportunities, and planning resources.
• Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail: Comprehensive guide to the IAT's natural historym and key resource for getting the most out of your adventure. Learn about the glacial deposits you walk upon, with segment-by-segment guides to interpret what you see. Also includes lessons on the basics of how glaciers shape the land, as well as "Science Briefs" on a wide variety of geological interests. At least for me, it's the perfect companion piece for obtaining a deep appreciation of the trail and its unique features. Electronic versions as well as discounts for IATA members are also available.
• National Geographic: Magazine article of a writer first exploring the Ice Age Trail, with all the beautiful writing and photos you'd expect from NatGeo.